PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 31: Arizona Diamondbacks principal owner Ken Kendrick and president Derrick Hall talk on the field prior to Game 4 of the 2023 World Series between the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Tuesday, October 31, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Diamondbacks News
Ken Kendrick Announces Cuts to 2027 Payroll In entirely predictable fashion, Ken LKendrick is unhappy with the results of his investment in the 2026 team. The result of the situation is that the team should be expecting reduced investment in 2027. Some of that will come organically from contracts dropping off. Some of it will have to come from parting ways with some contracts, a task easier said than done.
Diamondbacks Executives Speak About Relationship with Ketel Marte The Ketel Marte saga just keeps going. This story simply will not go away until a year after he either comes correct regarding his behaviours or the team is a year moved on from having found a viable trade.
What is Marte’s Future with the Diamondbacks At the end of the day, Marte’s particular situation means he is almost entirely in control of the entire affair. HIs future is in his hands. Now it is time to see what he will do with it, since it is clear he no longer has people rushing to defend him.
NLDS Preview: Dodgers Versus Braves What ends up getting more coverage, Ohtani continuing to have work restricted in the playoffs, or the brutal heat expected to descend on the game?
Projected Arbitration Salaries for 2027 MLBTR has one of the very best arbitration estimators in the entire business. Here are their estimates for next season. Notably, the Diamondbacks have four arbitration eligible players. Only three are likely to be tendered. Player (service time): projected salary Lars Nootbaar (5.076): $6.3MM Pavin Smith (4.144): $2.5MM *(non-tender candidate) Gabriel Moreno (4.061): $6.1MM Ryne Nelson (4.020): $3.4MM
Boston, MA - September 22: Boston Red Sox designated hitter Mickey Gasper is congratulated in the dugout after his solo home run in the eighth inning. The Boston Red Sox played the Cleveland Guardians at Fenway Park on September 22, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
The Red Sox season is over. But Red Sox injury news never stops! At least this is good-ish news: Mickey Gasper underwent successful “distal biceps tendon repair” surgery yesterday to fix his gnarly looking arm:
Mickey Gasper’s biceps tore off his tendon. He will have surgery in Boston Friday pic.twitter.com/0dPknfy3y4
It’s expected that it will take 4-6 months for Gasper to get back into game action, so it’s unclear whether he’ll be ready for Opening Day 2027. Of course it’s also unclear if baseball itself will be ready for Opening Day 2027… (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
But before we can look to the future, we must reckon with the past. In this case, we’re still done talking about the fact that Sonny Gray sure did seem pissed about being taken out of Game 2 after only 70 pitches. Is this something that’s going to cause long-term issues between players and management? According to one scribe, there were “traces of betrayal” in the visitor’s clubhouse following the game. “The failure to recognize and honor [Sonny Gray’s] ability in the middle of the biggest game of the year had to feel like a show of disrespect — not just to Gray, but also, many of his teammates.” (Sean McAdam, MassLive)
McAdam’s story is more unsourced speculation than anything else — I mean, what exactly does he mean by “traces of betrayal?” But he’s not the only one making similar insinuations. “I think a lot of their leadership stuff got masked because they went on that massive run,” former player and current broadcaster/podcaster Anthony Rizzo said. “I just feel like there’s so much kind of [expletive] that happened in Boston this year… and now that you don’t win, this is when it all comes out under the hood.” (Kayley Brown, Boston.com)
But these supposed issues don’t seem to be making ownership second-guess the decision to extend Craig Breslow. “Something we’ve been striving for is baseball operations continuity and stability. I know that sounds a little odd, given that we made a change with the manager and coaching staff. The hallmark of a good baseball organization is continuity, No. 1, at the ownership level. But with your baseball operation, we haven’t had that for some time. So we wanted to do that, we were proactive with that, and we informed him midseason that we were picking up the option. There was no contractual need to do it, no mechanism. There was nothing that had to be done. We wanted to do that as a demonstration of commitment to stability and continuity.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
The executives in the commissioner’s office are probably pretty happy about things right now, too. That’s because the Red Sox-Yankees series did some pretty good numbers. “Tuesday’s Game 1 averaged 7.3 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, making it the most-watched opener of an MLB Wild Card or Division Series since 2006,.” (Chris Spiering, ClutchPoints)
Tampa Tarpons shortstop Dax Kilby (3) stands on second base after hitting a double in the game between the Tampa Tarpons and the Lakeland Flying Tigers at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, on July 28, 2026. (Photo by Carl Rizzo/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
The minor league season has officially concluded league-wide, with the Triple-A Championship Game on September 26th officially serving as the conclusion of the final game in Minor League Baseball in 2026. As thousands of players across all levels prepare for their offseason, there exists a handful in every organization who aren’t quite done with organized ball yet.
That is where we find the Arizona Fall League, which will be running for the 34th season since its founding in 1992 as an opportunity for an assortment of prospects to gain additional in-game experience. It’s often used by organizations to compensate for lost time due to injury, give experience to lower-minor prospects against stiffer competition, or to use it as an extra opportunity to tweak or introduce something in a low-stakes environment.
The Yankees have sent players of all shapes and sizes to this, from non-prospects deep into the organizational depth chart to highly touted prospects like Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres, Jasson Domínguez, and Alfonso Soriano. Two years ago, current Boston rival Caleb Durbin got himself on the map with a huge performance, proving that this stage can positively impact prospect buzz.
For those unfamiliar with the format, the league’s 30 teams are divided into six AFL clubs, which have a 35-man roster and contain the contingents from five different organizations. It changes every year, so the one that the eight Yankees representatives will be going to is the Salt River Rafters, alongside prospects from the Twins, Rockies, Diamondbacks, and Nationals.
With the AFL officially kicking off today at 3:30 p.m. EDT in Glendale, let’s meet the eight-man Yankees contingent:
INF Dax Kilby
The prized prospect of the bunch, Dax Kilby will headline the group. The 2025 first-round pick stole headlines with an incredible 19-game cup of coffee in Single-A Tampa last August that vaulted him onto Top 100 lists and raised high expectations for his first full professional season at age 19, but such a season was doomed from the start.
A hamstring injury suffered early in spring held him out of the Spring Breakout game in March and delayed his season debut until May 28th, but there was still plenty of runway from there. Unfortunately, after taking just two at-bats, he suffered a setback that held him out an additional six weeks. He finally returned for good on July 17th, but was limited to just 36 total games in what was supposed to be a big season for him. It comes as no surprise, then, that he’s getting extra reps here in Arizona.
In his extremely limited time at Tampa this season, Kilby was effective, slashing .261/.448/.435 with a 143 wRC+ in 154 plate appearances. He boasts an extremely mature approach at the plate, walking in a quarter of his plate appearances, but has yet to really tap into the power. He’s above-average at pretty much everything, something you love to see from a 19-year-old, but you’re looking for the standout trait.
Dax Kilby with his 3rd HR on the season!
105.6 mph / 18 deg, pulled on a 3-0 cutter over the RF fences.
AVG: .281 OPS: .882
Dax has been swinging with a lot more intention since coming back from injury, appearing to sell some contact for some more power and the results have… pic.twitter.com/ueKBXSEiWg
Something to monitor in this, aside from how he performs against older pitching, will be his defense. He’s never been considered likely to stick at shortstop, but is a good enough athlete to feasibly play second base, third base, or even center field. We’ll see if he’s moved around or if one of the best prospects in all of the AFL will just get to man shortstop the entire time.
RHP Mack Estrada
Every year, you’ll see the Yankees send one or two guys to the AFL who don’t have much of a pro sample to go off of. This year’s version of that is Mack Estrada, the team’s 11th-round pick in 2024, who has just 4.1 professional innings through the first 2.5 seasons of his professional career.
Estrada is a guy that the Yanks invested a lot in, giving him a massive overslot of $640,340, the fifth-highest in the class, to get him out of a commit to go to Florida State out of junior college. He, like the rest of the team’s draft-year pitchers, was shut down to end the 2024 season, but went under the knife early in 2025 and missed the next season and a half due to Tommy John surgery.
He only got back to pitch in four games this summer with the FCL Yankees, where he struggled in a bunch of small, choppy outings. He’s spent the last two months in the complex, so we’ll see if he’s being utilized as a multi-inning guy in the AFL.
What can we expect from him? We don’t have data on how his stuff has looked post-TJS, but he’s more of a fastball/slider guy who was capable of getting it up to 96 on the heater in college. The Yankees love to tinker with young pitcher’s arsenals, so we’ll see if he has another offering or two.
FSU baseball picked up a JUCO commitment from RHP Mack Estrada. Estrada has a 2.66 ERA/1.25 WHIP in 44 IP at Northwest Florida State College. 57 K-20 BB. 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame. 91-94 MPH FB, nasty slider to pair it with.
A handful of the players in this year’s AFL contingent missed time in the last two years due to injury, but few were able to get back from those injuries with enough time to be as impactful as J.T. Etheridge was.
An undrafted free agent out of Louisiana in 2024, Etheridge started his pro career strong in the FCL in May 2025, but struggled after a promotion to Tampa late in the season. His 2026 started as more of the same, pitching to a 6.51 ERA deep into August. As a prospect without much invested in you, it’s a dangerous game to play going into an offseason with zero production above rookie ball at 25, which he’ll be in January.
The fact he’s here in Arizona, though, shows that he did make some progress. Something seemed to click in mid-August, when he suddenly became the unlikely ace of a Tampa team that came within a game of a Florida State League championship. In his last six starts, he allowed just one run in 27 innings with 38 strikeouts, including a pair of scoreless playoff outings. The decision to send him came before a few of these outings, so the belief might’ve been there even longer.
Allow me to introduce you to 2024 UDFA JT Etheridge, who is being sent to the AFL this season.
He made his game 1 playoff start tonight in Tampa and it was a beauty.
5.0 IP 1 H 0 ER 7 K – 0 BB
If you look purely results, you'd be confused why the Yankees would send Etheridge… pic.twitter.com/azWQ6b2sH6
He boasted an impressive 32.9 strikeout rate with great whiff rates. He sits at 94 on his four-seam fastball and has both a sweeper and a slider that grade well above average. The damage off him primarily comes from the curveball and sinker, which he throws a combined 23 percent of the time. Expect him to tinker with those this fall.
RHP Antonio Gomez
While Kilby is the much more important prospect for Yankees fans to monitor this fall, I’d argue that the guy I’m most excited to see get extra reps here is Antonio Gomez. You may remember that name from a couple of years ago as a defense-first catcher whose bat never quite caught up with him. Yes, that is that same kid.
Gomez was floundering at Double-A Somerset in June 2025 when he was placed on the Development List. While that is usually a death sentence for any prospect, Gomez was different. Instead of being in organizational limbo, he was switching professions, going from a catcher with an 80-grade arm to a flamethrowing reliever. He made his pitching debut a month later and lit up the radar guns, but underwent elbow surgery after just four outings.
He returned this August and has just been trying to get into a rhythm as a pitcher. He’s only tossed 8.1 total innings across 10 career outings, so any experience he can get here in Arizona is extremely valuable. The thing that tickles your fancy about him is his alien fastball, which sits in the upper 90s with over 20 inches of induced vertical break, something you pretty much never see in the bigs:
A late addition to the roster, Anthony Mena signed as an older international signing in 2024 at the age of 19 and didn’t make his stateside debut until 2026 after two solid years in the DSL. In 2025, he struck out 57 in 45.2 innings with a 3.11 ERA.
The results were pretty rough in his 16.2 innings in the FCL early this summer, but he got an aggressive promotion to Tampa midway through the season after a mountain of injuries completely destroyed their pitching depth. His stuff hasn’t quite caught up yet, but he did pretty well after the promotion, allowing just three runs in 16.1 innings across five multi-inning outings.
He leans on his low-90s sinker, throwing it 44 percent of the time, while supplementing it with a changeup, slider, and curveball, with the latter two generating the best results.
RHP Chris Veach
Our last pitcher of the bunch, Chris Veach, is the only one who isn’t extremely early in their development as a Single-A pitcher. A 2024 undrafted free agent out of South Carolina, Veach graduated from Tampa in 2025 after a terrific season, pitching to a 2.53 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 57 innings.
Among qualified MiLB pitchers that haven’t allowed a home run this year, Chris Veach leads the pack in K-BB% at 41.3%.
This year has been a much more difficult season for him, but not because of anything on the field. The 25-year-old missed nine weeks with an undisclosed injury in the summer, shortly after earning a promotion to Double-A Somerset in June. He was only able to get into 25 games and throw 29 innings, but he excelled while doing so, pitching to a 1.86 ERA with 39 strikeouts to 10 walks. He’ll be 26 in a month and a half, so the extra development will be very helpful for him.
We don’t have arsenal stats for High-A and Double-A, but a look at Veach’s repertoire shows he utilizes a heavy diet of changeups that is backed up by a trio of fastballs. Things might’ve changed in the last year, but he threw a breaking ball just 0.8 percent of the time last season. Could that be something they ask him to work on in the desert?
INF Core Jackson
Finally, to the position players. Core Jackson is the second-biggest name value prospect they’re sending to Arizona this fall. The 2025 fifth-round pick had a strong debut season in the system, splitting time between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset.
Jackson, who turns 23 in eight days, slashed .262/.360/.459 with 41 stolen bases in 101 games across the two levels. He’s played an adequate shortstop, but has also gotten run at both second and third base. With Kilby on the roster, I can’t imagine he plays much shortstop this fall, even if both likely project as third basemen.
He was limited to just 101 games this year due to three very short stints on the injured list for minor ailments, which might be why he’s here. It could also be a big vote of confidence for an upper-minors infielder, who could be a good 2027 away from knocking on the door of the majors.
Core Jackson is a Yankees prospect to follow through the rest of the year.
Above-avg power (12 HR & .212 ISO) Solid K-avoidance (20.7% K%) .914 OPS vs. LHP 27 SB
Our last Yankee heading to the desert is another 2025 draftee, and someone who managed to be one of the more unlikely 20/20 players you’ll ever see. Drafted in the 13th round out of West Virginia last year, it was a difficult debut season for West, who exclusively plays first base.
He slashed .226/.300/.394 with 20 home runs, 76 RBI, and 20 stolen bases in 124 games with Hudson Valley and suffered from a consistency issue. He’d have strong weeks, but immediately trade it with rough weeks. This is a guy who slugged .600 in the Big 12 just 18 months ago and was drafted for his slugging ability. The conditions in the AFL usually benefit offense, especially with the altitude. This guy could hit some moonshots if he gets a hold of one.
The Memphis Grizzlies, facing a roster crunch with too many guaranteed contracts than they can carry into the season, have waived former lottery pick Jordan Hawkins, the team announced.
Both the Grizzlies and ESPN’s Shams Charania described this as a mutual parting of the ways. Memphis will eat (and Hawkins will get paid) his full $7 million contract for this season.
Hawkins likely will land with another NBA team this season, although likely on a minimum contract.
Hawkins is entering his fourth NBA season, his first three with the Pelicans before being traded to Memphis less than a month ago. The 6'5" two guard was projected as a shooter coming out of UConn and in his second season averaged 10.8 points per game but only shot 33.1% from beyond the arc for the Pelicans. Last season, with a new front office in New Orleans that didn't draft him and didn't feel the same loyalty, his minutes and opportunities dropped considerably. Across his three seasons, he has shot 34.8% from 3-point range.
Expect a few teams to consider taking a shot on Hawkins this season to see if a fresh start in a new situation gets him back to his lottery-pick form.
Memphis still isn't done. It has 16 guaranteed contracts on the roster, plus partially guaranteed Jaylen Wells, who likely sticks around, so a couple more players need to be traded or waived (Memphis has the cap space to eat those contracts if it needs to).
Sep 29, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) is introduced before game one of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs against the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Division Series begins today for both the American and National Leagues, which once again means all-day baseball. The AL has tomorrow off to start the staggering of schedules/avoid competing too much with the NFL, so get your fix today. This gives the AL teams three days off if a series goes five games, which is ridiculous.
The ALDS is a best-of-five series with games with the first two games at home for the higher seed, followed by two games at the lower seed, and game five back home for the higher seed.
Chicago White Sox @ Cleveland Guardians, 1:00
Where to watch: TBS / HBO Max
The AL Central matchup pits Hagen Smith of the White Sox against Parker Messick of the Guardians. Messick was an All-Star this year with a 2.56 ERA over 32 starts. Smith is a rookie who had a 1.29 ERA this season in 18 games. 17 of them, however, were out of the bullpen. Smith started against Houston in the Wild Card round and pitched three innings with two hits and no runs. He’s like a jumbo opener, I suppose.
I don’t have a strong rooting interest in this one. I’d be happy with the Guardians moving on, as they haven’t won the World Series since 1948. And I really like José Ramírez. As for the White Sox, they have two things going for them. One, they are coming off of a string of horrendous seasons and kind of came out of nowhere this year. And they play second fiddle to another team in their own city. That other team was already eliminated, of course.
Atlanta Braves @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 4:00
Where to watch: FOX / FOX One
As I write this, we are about 3.5 hours from game time and the Braves have not announced a starting pitcher. Bold. It’ll be Tarik Skubal for the Dodgers.
Obviously we are all rooting against the Dodgers in this one, right? They’ve won three World Series since 2020 including the last two seasons. Pass. The Braves are my rooting interest by default.
New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays, 6:30
Where to watch: TBS / HBO Max
The Rays were the best team in the American League this year and also the Orioles had an 8-5 record against them. That doesn’t mean anything, but it’s all I have. The pitching matchup is Gerrit Cole vs Drew Rasmussen.
Gotta root for the Rays here for several reasons. First, obviously you know why. Also, they’ve never won the World Series. And they have a handful of former Orioles including the delightful Cedric Mullins. Go get a ring, Ced!
San Diego Padres @ Milwaukee Brewers, 8:30
Where to watch: FS1 / FOX One
It’s a real shame this matchup isn’t a possibility for the NLCS, although at least we know one of them will be there. Neither of these teams has ever won the World Series. San Diego has Manny Machado, who is now an old man with 399 career home runs. Milwaukee has one of the most exciting young pitchers in baseball, who has thrown over 1,100 pitches over 100 mph this season.
That guy, Jacob Misiorowski, is starting tonight for the Brew Crew. It’ll be old friend Robbie Ray for the Padres. I haven’t seen Ray pitch lately; I assume his pants are still very tight.
Apparently, no one told Wizards guard Bub Carrington that the first rule of tanking is to never admit to tanking.
The former first-round pick said in an interview this week that the Wizards intentionally “held back” the team last season in order to maximize their odds of landing the No.1 overall pick, which they ultimately used to grab BYU forward AJ Dybantsa.
“We’ve all, in a way, been held back just because, like you said, we were trying to get AJ Dybantsa. That’s no secret,” Carrington, the 14th overall pick in 2024 out of Pitt, told WUSA’s Marshall Kramsky. “But now, no one has handcuffs. Everyone’s shackles-free. So, that alone is already a conversation starter.
Bub Carrington #7 of the Washington Wizards looks on during the second half of a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on March 25, 2026 in Salt Lake City. Getty Images
“But then you put that on top of the coaching, on top of the vets that we have. That’s a playoff team, and that’s gonna happen.”
The Wizards finished with the worst record in the NBA last season at 17-65, giving them a 14.0 percent chance to win the draft lottery and a 40.1 percent chance for a top-three selection.
The 6-foot-9 Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a freshman last year at BYU.
During last season, the Wizards made two significant trades for injured All-Stars Anthony Davis and Trae Young, but they combined for just five appearances (all by Young) for Washington.
Bub Carrington said the quiet part out loud.
“We were trying to get AJ Dybantsa. That’s no secret.”
Carrington says the Wizards’ young core was “held back” last season — but now the “handcuffs” are off. pic.twitter.com/3DxaDeJsTq
The NBA implemented strict rules and fined both the Jazz and the Pacers for alleged tanking violations last season, but The Athletic reported that the league is “not expected” to penalize Carrington or the Wizards.
Davis, a 10-time All-Star and Young, a four-time selection, are currently healthy and participating without limitations during Wizards training camp.
AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards poses for a portrait during NBA media day on Monday, September 28, 2026, at Capital One Arena in Washington. NBAE via Getty Images
Carrington has appeared in all 82 games in each of his first two seasons, averaging 10.7 points and 4.6 assists in 27.7 minutes per game in 2025-26.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill ruled out top defenseman Bowen Byram from playing at Buffalo on Saturday night because of a family matter.
Byram’s absence comes as he was preparing to face his former team for the first time since the Sabres traded him to Chicago in a multiplayer deal in June. The 25-year-old Byram subsequently signed a six-year, $75 million contract with the Blackhawks in becoming the team’s top-paid defenseman.
The offensive-minded player had 21 goals and 89 points in 182 games with Buffalo.
He’s yet to register a point this season, with Chicago opening with two straight losses. After playing Buffalo, the Blackhawks open their home schedule hosting St. Louis on Tuesday.
DALLAS, TEXAS - JUNE 29: New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May (L) and Dallas Mavericks team president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri stand for photos during a press conference at American Airlines Center on June 29, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Cooper Flagg had a stellar rookie season, but one blemish on his campaign was his lackluster advanced numbers.
While Flagg had great counting stats, the advanced metrics suggest his impact was below average, but it can definitely be improved. One metric that Flagg can improve on is his lack of offensive rebounding, which Dusty May has already commented on.
“Getting him to take advantage of his offensive rebounding ability,” said May in his media availability after the first training camp practice. “ When we’re connected as a group where we’re playing off of each other, I think it will organically happen.”
Winning the possession battle has become incredibly important in the modern NBA, with offensive rebounds being specifically important. Teams like the Houston Rockets have had tremendous regular season success while being a medicore offense, in large part to winning the possession battle.
It’s simple math, if you shoot more shots than your opponent, it will often lead to more points.
Flagg was in the 38th percentile for his OREB%, a lackluster mark for a 6’9 forward with elite athleticism. Flagg getting on the glass would not only help the team win the possession battle, but also will help him get more easy rim attempts.
“But just playing better basketball, I think it will afford him more opportunities,” said May.
Flagg had to work tremendously hard for most of his scoring opportunities last year, whether it was the terrible spacing or lack of teammate-created buckets.
On the other hand, putback’s are one of the most efficient play types, with players average 1.14 points per-possession on average last season, according to Synergy.
This focus on more analytically-driven basketball is a major departure from the previous coaching staff, with the Mavericks consistently being behind the times.
Last season the Mavericks were towards the top of the league in mid-range attempts, and were towards the bottom in three-point attempts.
But while all Mavericks fans want more three-point attempts, there is nuance in this discussion.
“If we have an elite mid-range shooter, he’s going to shoot the right mid-range shots,” said May. “Obviously, we want as many quality threes as we can get, but if guys are incredibly efficient at something very specific, I’m definitely not going to look at a spreadsheet and overrule guys with what we call mastery shots.”
This approach to team-wide shot diets is the correct approach in the modern NBA.
Forcing all players into threes or rim-attempts can severely limit a star player and prevent them from feeling comfortable in an offense.
The Mavericks are also uniquely affected by this, as both Flagg and Irving are mid-range maestros.
All of this comes back to a simple math equation, if a player can average greater than 1 point-per-possession on any given shot type, they should shoot that shot
May’s approach throughout his career has been to maximize what his players do best, rather than forcing them into an uncomfortable role.
SYMBOL - 25 November 2024, Austria, Innsbruck: A chamois at the Innsbruck Alpine Zoo. Photo: Silas Stein/dpa (Photo by Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Last weekend without basketball, fellas, so here’s a quick summary of a bunch of stuff that popped up recently around the NBA before we get down to (yeah, I know, preseason, but still…) business.
James Wiseman has emerged as the early favorite for the Knicks’ 14th and likely final standard roster spot, according to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. Nothing new considering we’ve been talking about New York prioritizing a third center for months on end. In Bondy’s eyes, Tony Bradley and Drew Eubanks are Wiseman’s primary competition up front, while Bruce Brown and Ochai Agbaji are also fighting for the last spot in the Knicks’ roster.
Mike Brown, however, isn’t ready to declare Wiseman—or anybody else—the winner of that roster battle.
“I’m just going to let it unfold. I got no expectations. I’m not trying to forecast anything. I’m just taking this literally one practice at a time, one game at a time. And at the end of the day, when it comes time for us to figure out who’s going to be on the final roster, we’ll do it.”
The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III identified whether the Knicks can maintain their edge after winning the championship as New York’s biggest question entering the new season.
In another piece published over The Athletic, multiple reporters assembled three perspectives on the Knicks’ chances of repeating, and none were especially bullish.
Anne Hathaway would sacrifice another Oscar for another Knicks championship.
New court documents revealed additional allegations behind OAKAAK J.R. Smith’s arrest in Texas.
The Pistons and Jalen Duren finally found common ground, with the big boy and postseason no-shower inking a five-year, $200 million deal… without a weight clause on it.
It looks like the Las Vegas Whatevers are a very real thing and will get a franchise approved before Seattle does, but that could come with the con of having to wait an extra year to enter NBA play, contrary to the SuperSonics 2.0 making their comeback in time for the 2028-29 campaign.
JaVale McGee has joined the Shanghai Sharks, teaming up with D’Angelo Russell in China. Yes, that’s a real headline.
LeBron stans are already aboard the #lbjmvp train. Meanwhile…
ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Wild will play its home opener Friday night against the Boston Bruins, and if history is any indication, Kirill Kaprizov is a player to keep a close eye on.
Kaprizov has had remarkable success against Boston throughout his NHL career. In seven games against the Bruins, the Wild superstar has recorded nine goals and 10 points.
Even more impressive is how efficiently Kaprizov has produced those goals. He has scored nine times on just 23 shots against Boston, good for a 39.1 percent shooting percentage.
Kaprizov has also scored two power-play goals against the Bruins and has one game-winning goal and one overtime winner.
The 29-year-old opened the season with a goal in Minnesota’s season opener against Nashville, continuing his streak of recording at least one point in every season-opening game of his NHL career.
Now, Kaprizov gets a matchup that has treated him exceptionally well.
Boston has plenty of offensive weapons of its own, but Kaprizov’s history against the Bruins makes him Minnesota’s player to watch as the Wild return to Grand Casino Arena for their home opener.
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It’s time to begin the Division Series round of the 2026 postseason. There will be two threads for the four games today. This one is for the two afternoon games. The night game thread will post at 5 p.m. CT.
At the time of this post, the Braves had not yet listed a starting pitcher.
12 noon CT: White Sox at Guardians
TV: TBS, truTV, HBO Max. Announcers: Alex Faust, Ron Darling and Lauren Jbara.
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 01: Signage in Truist Park during the Philadelphia Phillies versus the Atlanta Braves in game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series on October 1st, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Eight MLB teams remain in the hunt for the 2026 World Series title as the playoffs move into the Division Series. The San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees all ousted their Wild Card round opponents in two games, while it took the Atlanta Braves three games to end the Philadelphia Phillies’ season.
In the American League (AL), both best-of-five series feature division rivals vying for a spot in the AL Championship Series. In the National League (NL), the Padres, Braves and Milwaukee Brewers will look to prevent the Los Angeles Dodgers from winning a third consecutive NL pennant.
White Sox at Cleveland Guardians (1:00 PM EDT)
The battle-tested Guardians barely eclipsed the upstart White Sox down the stretch for the American League Central title and first-round bye. Now these two Midwest rivals will duke it out for a semifinal spot.
Coming in hot after sweeping the American League West champion Houston Astros, the White Sox will look to continue their Cinderella season. However, the rested Guardians will pose a tougher test than the Astros.
Chicago will employ the same pitching strategy that worked in the series opener in Houston. Rookie left-hander Hagen Smith will serve as the opener again. Cleveland will counter with rookie left-hander Parker Messick (12-9, 2.56 ERA), who was among the top rookie pitchers in baseball this season.
In pursuit of a three-peat, the superstar-laden Dodgers aren’t messing around. Left-hander Tarik Skubal (12-7, 2.72 ERA), the biggest name traded at this season’s trade deadline, will start Los Angeles’ postseason opener.
Braves ace left-hander Chris Sale entered in relief to record the final outs of the Wild Card Series, making him unlikely to pitch until Game 2 or 3 of this series. Atlanta will instead roll with a bullpen game today.
This series is truly a David vs. Goliath matchup, as the Yankees have historically experienced more success and operated with a higher payroll. However, the small-market Rays punched above their weight by winning the most games in the AL and capturing the division title.
Tampa Bay’s pitching staff played a significant role in the team’s successful 2026 campaign. This could be a low-scoring series, as New York’s pitching staff is also stellar at run prevention. The Yankees will also be without Aaron Judge for a second straight postseason series.
Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole will make his 23rd career postseason start. He will be opposed by Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen, who has considerably less postseason experience.
This matchup between the Padres and the Brewers could result in a classic Division Series, given the number of quality players each of these teams has.
The Padres will face a rested Brewers squad that won an MLB-high 103 games this season. Left-hander Robbie Ray, acquired from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline, will make his first postseason appearance with San Diego.
Flame-throwing phenom Jacob Misiorowski will start for the Brewers. The 24-year-old right-hander is favored to win the NL Cy Young Award after finishing the season with a 16-5 record, a 1.80 ERA, a 0.80 WHIP and 252 strikeouts over 174 2/3 innings.
The Padres, Brewers and Rays have yet to win a World Series. Will one of these teams make history this fall, or will their drought continue?
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 30: The Chicago White Sox pose on the field after defeating the Houston Astros in game two of the American League Wild Card Series at Daikin Park on September 30, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Wild Card round came and went, with three series sweeps and one series ending in a game three battle. Now it’s time to get into the meat of October with a weekend slate of NLDS and ALDS matchups.
The Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers, and Los Angeles Dodgers will get into the action after starting the playoffs with a bye.
The Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees pulled out the brooms against the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, and Boston Red Sox, respectively. The Philadelphia Phillies stole one from the Atlanta Braves before Atlanta closed things out.
Now, two pairs of division foes meet in the American League, alongside two intriguing matchups in the National League.
Here’s the schedule for Saturday’s games:
Chicago White Sox @ Cleveland Guardians on truTV, TBS, HBO Max at 11:00 am MDT
Atlanta Braves @ Los Angeles Dodgers on FOX at 2:00 pm MDT
New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays on truTV, TBS, HBO Max at 4:30 pm MDT
San Diego Padres @ Milwaukee Brewers on Fox Sports 1 at 6:30 pm MDT
We’ll add lineups as they become available.
Chicago White Sox (0-0) at Cleveland Guardians (0-0) — 11:00 am MDT
Pitching Matchup: Hagen Smith (3-3, 1.29 ERA) vs. Parker Messick (12-9, 2.56 ERA)
HOUSTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 30: Munetaka Murakami #5 of the Chicago White Sox celebrates in the clubhouse after defeating the Houston Astros in Game Two of the American League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Chicago White Sox and the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Logan Riely/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome to the divisional round! There’s a full slate of four games to be played today.
Starting at noon, we have White Sox at Guardians. The White Sox will use Hagen Smith (1.29 regular season ERA) as an opener for a bullpen game and the Guardians will counter with their rookie ace, Parker Messick (2.56 regular season ERA). The game can be seen on TBS and HBO Max.
At 3 PM, Atlanta will take on the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Atlanta has not yet declared their intended starter, the Dodgers will go with deadline acquisition Tarik Skubal (2.72 regular season ERA). That game can be seen on FOX.
At 5:30, the Yankees will venture to St. Petersburg to take on the Rays. Gerrit Cole (3.61 regular season ERA) will face Drew Rasmussen (2.67 regular season ERA) in the opener. This game can be seen on TBS and HBO Max.
The final game of the night, at 7:30, will see the Padres face the Brewers in a battle of brown teams. Robbie Ray (3.59 regular season ERA) will face presumptive NL Cy Young winner Jacob “The Mis” Misiorowski (1.80 regular season ERA).
If I might be allowed to editorialize for a moment, I think three of the four games promise to be especially good. I’m not convinced Atlanta has what it takes to battle with the Dodgers, but the Brewers and Padres have each shown me enough to think they could give them a run for their money in LCS. The White Sox haven’t pitched well but the Guardians haven’t hit well, and though the Guardians won the division, the White Sox won more head-to-head matchups, so that series figures to be a bloodbath of one kind or another.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 7: A fan holds a baseball waiting to get it autographed before a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago White Sox at Citizens Bank Park on June 7, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 9-5. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There are four baseball games today that will determine who plays for the pennants in the Championship Series.
